Smitten
by ATrueParrothead
Summary: As much as I wish it, they do not belong to me. Only borrowing for entertainment purposes. GSR, kinda fluffy. Takes place after Snakes. Spoilersthrough season 5, but mainly Snakes & Butterflied.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

All he could do was sit there; his head almost seemed like it was glued to the steering wheel. An

all too familiar song blared over his stereo system:

_When you make love, do you look in the mirror? Who do you think of, does he look like _

_Me? Do you tell lies, and say that it's forever? Do you think twice, or just touch n see? _

_When your alone, do you let go? Are you wild n willing, or is it just for show?_

The song had been playing over and over again; it seemed like an eternity. He couldn't bring himself to change it; he didn't think he had the mental capacity to drive himself home, so there he sat; in his Tahoe, unable to move, listening to the same depressing song. _'I have to get out of here,_' he thought to himself. He found himself engrossed in the words bellowing from his speakers:

_I don't wanna touch you too much baby, Cos making love to you might drive me crazy._

_I know you think that love is the way you make it, so I don't wanna be there when you _

_Decide to break it…Love bites, love bleeds. It's bringing me to my knees. Love lives _

_Love dies, it's no surprise. Love begs, love pleads. It's what I need._

The shift started like any normal shift: multiple cases being handed out to his subordinates. He was so content sitting in his office filling out paper work; all the cases were being handled. Sophia and Warrick were working together on one murder; they were close in finding their perp. Sara was keeping a close watch on Greg, so Grissom felt very fortunate to have this time to catch up on the part of the job he sometimes considered pointless. Nevertheless, it was all part of his duties as night shift supervisor.

One of his problems with working in his office on paperwork was that it gave him too much time to think. His mind often wondered, and usually it wondered about what might have been. He often thought about that time Sara had asked him to dinner; why was he so wrapped up in his fear of losing his hearing? Regrets…he had many. It all goes back to that day…everything went downhill from there. His ever-so-strained relationship with Sara was in steady decline from there; he wondered why he didn't do anything to repair things. He knew it was his fault. Any chance of happiness, of exploring his true feelings for Sara was lost, or so he thought until today.

Why did Sara tell him these things today? Maybe it was part of her counseling, to face her fears and rejections. Didn't she know what this would do to him? Didn't she know that he had convinced himself already that there was no chance for them? What did that mean 'you were always more than a boss to me'? And 'you're the reason I came to Vegas?' Why didn't she let him respond to her?

The chorus raged on…

_Love bites, love bleeds, it's bringing me to my knees. Love lives, love dies…_

Just then, there was a loud knock on the window.

"Grissom, are you okay? What are you still doing here? Didn't your shift end about 2 hours ago?"

He opened the door to peer out at a very puzzled looking Catherine standing next to him. "Oh-I'm fine; just needed a little rest before I drove home. I must've dozed off a bit."

She shot him a condescending look, "You better go home, or go to her home and straighten out whatever it is that's making you look like the world has let you down. And Def Leppard? Come on Grissom, isn't that a little too heavy for you?"

Grissom turned his head slightly to the left and shot her an angry look, "Cath, I don't need this from you right not, and I like Def Leppard. I like all types of music, not just Mozart. It depends on my mood."

"Well, if the song is indicative of the mood, then I think you should definitely talk to her. Don't look at me like that. Don't you think I know? Everyone knows. That is everyone except the two of you. Well maybe just you. Don't you know that it takes forever to find someone to love that loves you back; sometimes it never happens, so when you have the opportunity, you have to take the bull by the horns and go for it. No matter what. If not, you will always wonder what if. Do you wanna be 70 years old and still pinning about her? I didn't think so. Go to her and talk it out. You will both feel better, and stop with the Def Leppard. I know you Gil; you've probably been sitting in there for over an hour listening to the same song, trying to talk yourself out of going to see her. Just do it, you can't feel any worse than you do right now, can you?"

As she walked away, he pondered her words. '_How did she know all that? It was more like 2 hours, but she hit everything else right on._' He knew what he had to do; with that, he turned the key, fired up the engine, and headed out of the parking lot. He was on a mission.

The drive to Sara's house seemed long; and it had started to violently rain on the way over. As he continued on, thoughts about what he was going to say to her filled his already aching brain. He rehearsed his speech over 20 times before he pulled into the parking lot. He still wasn't sure he was doing the right thing. The radio had been playing the entire ride over and every song had somehow reminded him of Sara. He was just about to exit the Tahoe when a familiar song echoed from the airwaves:

_What would you think if I told you, I've always wanted to hold you. I don't know what _

_We're afraid of; nothing would change if we made love. So I'll be your friend, and I'll be _

_Your lover. Cause I know in our hearts we agree. We don't have to be one or the other, _

_We could be both to each other._

Quickly, he turned off the engine and headed for her apartment. "I really need to find a new radio station," he muttered to himself.

Cascading from above, the torrential downpour seemed to echo his mood. Although he only had a short walk, his shirt was dripping wet as he released the door from its origin. "Great," he garbled, "Of course it would rain, of course I would be soaking wet on the day I was going to have the most overwhelming conversation of my life." Before he approached the stairs, a grave realization came upon him: he was talking to himself. But what was most significant was that he seemed to only talk to himself when it involved Sara.

As the climb to her floor seemed endless, he thought about all the possible speeches he had rehearsed on the way over. Ultimately, he deliberated that it would be best to just say what he felt. That was a new twist. Gee, that thought never crossed his mind before. As he peered around the corner, he could see her apartment door. With every step, his heart seemed to beat a half-beat faster. '_Good thing it's only a few steps away_,' he thought. '_Anything further, I would probably go into cardiac arrest.'_

Sara was sitting on her big comfy sofa, eating a pint of Ben & Jerry's chunky monkey, and watching a documentary on the mating rituals of spiders. Pretty fascinating stuff. The women spiders trap their men and have their way with them; then they kill them. She thought of that as a very unique way of life. Sara was trying her dandiest to keep her mind off her disaster earlier today. She didn't know what possessed her to have that total one-sided heart-pouring conversation with Grissom today. She assumed, as her counselor told her, that it would make her feel better; well, it didn't. She feared it only complicated things further. Oh well, nothing she could do about it now. Tonight was the perfect "forget about Gil Grissom and all his idiosyncrasies" night. Sara was content to spend the rest of the night, and tomorrow since she was scheduled off, vegging out in front of her TV in pajamas.

'_Stupid, stupid Sara_,' she scolded herself. '_I really have to learn to keep my trap shut around him sometimes_.' Ok, so maybe the idea of forgetting about today's events was moot. What could she do? She considered calling him; no, that would be too traumatic for Grissom. After all, he didn't even say two words today and she could sense how tormented he was. It pained her to see him in such misery; total agony just as he was when she watched him interrogate Vincent Lurie. As much as she tried, Sara had never been able to eliminate the images etched into her memory of Grissom confessing his feelings that day. She often wondered if she should've divulged to him that she had witnessed his declaration. The Debbie Marlin case really got to Grissom. Sara had never been able to shake the uncanny resemblance that she had to Debbie Marlin; apparently, neither could Grissom.

TBC

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**Okay, my first fanfic. I am not really a writer. Please review, I will be eternally grateful.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

Sara jumped up from the sofa as she heard the steady knock at the door. '_Who could that be? Hope I didn't order a pizza before I dozed off_.' Wandering over to the door, she looked at her pajamas and wondered if she should slip on a robe. '_Oh well, whoever it is will just have to deal with the evening attire_,' cracking herself up. Annoyed at being disturbed, Sara unlocked the deadbolt and opened the door. Nothing in existence could've prepared her for the astonishing sight before her eyes. She lingered in her entranceway for what felt like an eternity peering at the sight of a very wet Gil Grissom standing before her.

"Sorry to bother you Sara; would it be alright if I came in? I know I should've called first, but I was afraid if I heard your voice I wouldn't--uh, well, wait a minute…focus Gil…Let me start over. Hi Sara, how is your evening?"

He couldn't help but look at her. God, she looked perfect. He had never imaged her in comfortable clothing before. She was wearing a pair of low-rise pajama bottoms that hung just low enough to reveal a small belly button ring. '_She has her belly button pierced? I would've never predicted that,' he marveled. 'That puts a whole new spin on my fantasies. Stop Gil, can you just think for a minute. Yes she is gorgeous, and she looks amazing in her pj's, and you would love to just take her in my arms and hold her forever. Stop-come back down to earth. Remember why you are here.'_

"O--Kay, I guess. Come in. Is everything alright?"

Grissom made his way into Sara's apartment. He studied the surroundings: just like he had imagined. A huge bookshelf full of forensic books and magazines; a small television set perched on a modest entertainment center; a huge comfortable-looking couch that looked very inviting to him at this time.

"Yeah, I'm not hurt, I just needed--well - jeez this is difficult. Do you mind if we sit down for a bit?'

"Let me get you a towel, you are drenched. Sure, have a seat and I'll be right back."

As she started toward the bathroom, several scenarios ran through her mind. '_Sara, you are driving yourself crazy. Maybe he just needs information on a case? Maybe his condo is flooded out with all the rain? Maybe he just enjoys making you miserable? Yeah that must be it. Go and give him a piece of your mind. Wait a minute. Can't you see he is obviously struggling with something? Just go and listen to the man.'_

"Here, dry off a little. Has it been raining long?"

"No, it didn't start raining until I decided I was coming to see you. Fitting actually. It almost seems as though the rain pouring over me is a metaphor for our conversation, err well, your conversation to me earlier."

All she could do was sit there on her sofa, frozen. Every muscle in her body was stunned. Was this the same Gil Grissom who unquestionably turned her down for dinner? The same Gil Grissom who retreated like a turtle whenever she seemed to tear down one of the many walls he had built around his heart? She watched him dry off his hair and remove his thoroughly soaked black dress shirt to reveal a deep blue undershirt. '_He looks incredible in blue. Totally brings out the blue in his eyes. I have to stop this, but how can I turn off my feelings, my desires? I have wanted him, completely wanted him for 5 years now. I tried to deny that he was the reason I came to Vegas. I know now that I can't refute my feelings for him, and after this morning, he knows that too. Shit--why did I open my big mouth? No turning back now. At least he was here; that said something. Maybe he is finally ready to tell me his feelings, or tell me that there is no chance for us. Either way it is bound to be a long night of revelations and insights into the depths of our souls. Yeah right; this was Gil Grissom. He would never reveal his true uninhibited feelings, or would he?'_

TBC

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	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

They both sat there for the next few moments in silence. After 5 years of friendship, flirting, and agony; it seemed as though neither one of them knew what came next. One of them had to break the ice, one of them had to initiate a conversation.

Since she already disclosed enough to him today, Sara was content to sit on her sofa and look at him. She looked into his eyes; there was something different in them tonight. Something warm, inviting, or perhaps it was compassion. Compassion for what she had gone through earlier in his office. She wasn't sure. Maybe it was just that he had been up for twenty hours straight and he was tired.

"I knew not how empty was my heart until it was filled! Sorry, I didn't mean to bring Shakespeare into this. Sometimes I can't find my own words, so I borrow a few of his. Pretty pathetic, huh?"

Grissom gazed across the sofa at the beautiful woman he had longed to touch to try to get a read on her emotions. He understood that as difficult as this is for him to try to say, it must be equally as difficult for Sara to contemplate, especially after her little confession from earlier today.

"You know I adore Shakespeare; most women do, which is probably why men try to memorize his quotes. You're different though; I do believe that you have an appreciation, maybe even an admiration for the man. Tell me, is your heart full?"

"Sara, I raced over here tonight with a specific plan, an outline if you will. This really isn't making any sense. You know, I consider myself a rather intelligent man, but it seems when I am around you I forget everything. I can't help it; I think you make me stupid. I seem to lose the ability to talk, or at lease make sense."

"Well, at least you don't have my problem, I talk too much! Do you think that for once, maybe just this time, you could just tell me how you feel?" She placed a trembling hand on his chest. "Tell me what you feel in here. The rest will work itself out."

The soft touch of her hand on his chest sent tingling down his back. He couldn't believe how the slightest of her touch affected him so. She really was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. How he longed to stroke her long brown hair. What would it be like to kiss those gorgeous lips; what would it be like to love her with every ounce of his being? Grissom found he was lost whenever Sara was around. Maybe if he didn't spend so much energy fighting it, the ride would be mind-blowing. He had never let himself take that ride before; to just give in to someone and let fate take it's course. Suddenly, it appeared to be a little overwhelming on the sofa. "I think I need a glass of water, I'll be right back."

Sara watched him retreat to the kitchen to pour two glasses of water. His hands were trembling ever so slightly. She watched him as he spilled a few drops on the counter. She couldn't hold back the chuckle even though she tried. Sara knew this was very hard for Grissom. For some unknown reason, he had built monstrous walls around his heart, hell-bent on keeping everyone out. She wondered if he'd been hurt before; or perhaps he felt he was incapable of love. Either way, he did come over tonight to talk, and that, she felt, was a gigantic step in the right direction.

"I'm glad I can provide some entertainment for you," Grissom sneered as he slithered back toward the sofa with two slightly filled glasses of water in his trembling hands. "I didn't fill them up all the way; I was afraid of more spillage. The nerves; they are kicking in full force tonight I'm afraid."

Gracefully, he positioned himself back on the sofa right next to Sara. It took Grissom no time to gulp down his glass of water. Sara couldn't help but feel a little sorry for the man. "Hey Gris, relax. You don't have to say or do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable. Just tell me something, something profound about yourself, your life."

"I'm not really good with being profound or insightful about myself. But, I'm willing to give it a try. Let me see, something no one knows. About twenty-five years ago, I was engaged. I was just out of college; I thought I was in love. Her name was Karen Whitlock. We dated all through college; you know one of those college romances. At the time, I believed we would spend the rest of our lives together. We had plans to get married after I had found a decent job in Los Angeles; but in the mean time, I was working in the LA Coroner's office. One day, I decided to visit her on my lunch break. I found her _entertaining_ another gentlemen, a friend of ours, Tom Jasper. He was my lab partner in college. Apparently, they had been having an affair for sometime."

"Grissom, I'm sorry, I had no idea," Sara lamented. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. This would help explain many things: his fear of being hurt again, his distrust of relationships, and his need to keep everyone arms length away from him. Sara just sat there in total shock. What words could she offer him after his admission? All she could muster was, "So she left you for him?"

"Well, not exactly. There's more. After I found them, of course I was stunned, angry, demoralized. I went through all of the normal emotions. I pretty much told both of them that I wanted them out of my life, forever. They tried to apologize. Karen assured me that it was over between them. She insisted that this was her goodbye to Tom because she was going to marry me. But, in true Gil Grissom fashion, I wouldn't even listen. I guess I was too hurt to hear. Anyway, I stormed out of her apartment, got in my car and sped off. Karen jumped in her car and followed me. She was going about ninety to catch up with me and apparently missed a stop sign, and ran into a box truck. I watched it happen in my rear view mirror. Horrified, I went back to the crash; she died in my arms. The last thing she said to me was to please forgive her. I found out later that she was six weeks pregnant. I never knew if the baby would've been mine or Tom's; I guess I didn't want to know."

"You know that it wasn't your fault, right? It was a terrible accident, probably the most horrific thing you had seen to that point, but it wasn't your fault. I know you Grissom; you have probably been carrying around guilt for twenty years. It was dreadful what happened to her; what happened to you, but it was just an unfortunate accident."

"I did blame myself for a long time. I considered Karen's death, and the death of the unborn child to be my fault. It wasn't until I was a CSI for many years did I realize that you cannot predict human behavior. I had no way of knowing what would happen that day. I made peace with that. There was also a point that I realized something else. While I enjoyed Karen's company and we had fun together, I was never truly in love with her. I came to that realization the minute you walked into my life. There, is that profound enough for you?"

Sara almost fainted. She could not believe her ears. Was he not in so many words admitting that he was in love with her? She couldn't speak; all these thoughts and emotions were swirling around in her head. '_After all this time, I finally get some true feelings out of him and I'm speechless. I think I see tears in his eyes. His beautiful blue eyes; why were his eyes so damn gorgeous? I have to say something. I want to tell him that I love him too, but I don't want to scare him away. Come on Sara, say something.'_

"I think that is more profound than I was prepared for," she returned. "Grissom, I didn't want this to be so hard for you, but wow, did you just admit what I think you did? Am I reading too much into this, cause you know, sometimes I read too much into your words, your looks, your eyes. Did you know you have beautiful eyes? You don't mind me saying that do you? Am I talking too much?"

Finally, Grissom cracked a smile. "Sara, would you like to go to dinner? I know this little bar not too far from here. They usually have a band or something and their food's not too bad. I got used to going there all those nights that I drove here to your apartment and didn't have the courage to leave my car."

"Dinner sounds nice. I'll get dressed."

With that, they left the apartment and drove together in Grissom's Tahoe to The Station House Bar.


	4. Chapter 4

**Again, I do not own them, cause if I did we'd see some hot geek action!**

**Thanks to everyone who has reviewed. I hope you enjoy this chapter.**

Chapter Four

On this night, the Station House seemed to be busier than normal. Although it looked like your normal neighborhood restaurant with a bar, this establishment seemed to have more character. Strategically placed on the walls, were several pictures and mementos of past live performers. It seemed as though this place had seen its share of history over the years. Sara and Grissom were seated in a round booth toward the back of the dining area. They were close enough to the modest stage to hear the band, but far enough away to still be able to talk. From the reaction of the hostess, Sara reasoned that Grissom had frequented this watering hole in the past.

"You seem like a regular, funny, I hadn't pegged you as a bar-hopper or party animal," Sara teased.

Grissom gave her that patronizing stare, "I wouldn't say I was a regular. I have been here, yes, on more than one occasion. They do have enjoyable food, nice ambience, and decent entertainment. Of course, those aren't the main reasons I ended up here. When it comes to relationships, admitting feelings, and taking risks, I'm a chicken Sara. There were several evenings that I found myself in your parking lot, not able to bring myself to go any further. I seemed to always find my way here. I'd usually have a couple of drinks, get some food, and consider all the reasons why I should or shouldn't call you. I practically perfected the 'pros & cons' theory. I had no idea what to do; I still don't."

"Wow, I think this is the most you've talked to me in two years. I have to confess; I'm enjoying this immensely; not because you are struggling or anything. I just enjoy being around you; I enjoy having conversation; I enjoy your eyes. There I go again, sorry just can't help myself. I've been holding things in for a long, long time, so I might just blurt some feelings and desires. Hope I don't make you too uncomfortable."

"Hello Dr. Grissom, nice to see you again," bellowed a forty something woman wearing tight black jeans and a halter-top. "I see you brought some company tonight. Better watch him honey, he's a charmer. Can I start you guys off with a drink? Let's see, scotch on the rocks, right?'

Blushing, Grissom agreed, "Yes that will be fine."

"I'll just have a Michelob, bottle."

As the waitress fled to gather the drinks, Sara lectured, "Not a regular, huh _Dr. Grissom._ I think she likes you, nice outfit too. Do you know that seventy percent of all single men have tried at one time or another to pick up a waitress or barmaid?"

"Sara, you are too much. I don't think I have ever tried to pick up anybody, much less a waitress in a bar. I think she's just being nice; if she's flirting, I hadn't noticed. I do agree that the outfit is a little over the top. Don't worry though, even if I did find her attractive, I can only obsess or anguish over one woman at a time. I'm afraid tonight is not her night."

They spent the next several minutes listening to the sounds of the rock and roll cover band, making small talk, and downing their drinks. The dance floor was bustling with people of all walks of life; they seemed to be enjoying themselves with music and libations. Sara noticed that Grissom appeared to be at-ease or comfortable here. Almost like he felt safe and maybe uninhibited; or maybe the alcohol was starting to get to her. The band had just finished a lovely rendition of "Satisfaction" when the singer reported, "We're gonna slow things down a little, so grab someone you can't live without, shimmy up to the dance floor, and hold them close to you like it's your last moment on earth, here's an oldie."

"Would you like to dance?" invited Grissom as he rose from his seat and held out his hand. "I am not the world's most gifted dancer, but I think I can manage a slow dance."

"Sure, why not." Sara was stunned at his invitation, but also excited at the thought of being tremendously close to him. As he led her to the dance floor she couldn't help but feel terrified, excited, and bashful all at the same time.

As they arrived to the dance floor, Grissom clutched Sara's hips and pulled her close to him just as the singer started to croon:

_Wise men say, only fools rush in, but I can't help falling in love with you._

_Shall I stay, or would it be a sin, if I can't help falling in love with you._

_Like a river flows, surly to the sea. Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be._

Sara felt like her feet were not even touching the ground. She didn't even feel as though she was moving. All she could feel were his arms tightly wrapped around her body. Her arms were draped around his neck; she couldn't resist the temptation to run her hands through the curls of hair that dangled on his neck. She could tell this affected him because he smiled a devilish smile at her. '_Oh God, he is so intense' _she thought. '_I really want to kiss him but that may be a bit much for him, hell, I want to rip his clothes off and jump on top of him. Probably not a good idea either.' _Sara couldn't stop gazing intently into his deep blue eyes. He never took them off of her the entire song. And, what a song to dance their first dance to. The lyrics seemed to mirror their feelings. The talented singer perfectly portrayed the romantic vibe of the song as though it was being sung just for the two of them. As the melody poured out of the speakers, Sara couldn't help but feel weak; she was tingling all over like a schoolgirl on prom night. Their bodies seemed to melt together as one; she couldn't tell where his ended and hers began:

_Like a river flows, surly to the sea. Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be. Take my hand, take my whole life to. For I can't help falling in love with you._

_You know that I can't help falling in love with you._

As the song ended, Grissom still held Sara tight into his arms; he couldn't believe she was this close to him. It really didn't occur to him that the song had ended; his wanting stare captured the moment like a camera lens, to be conjured up in his mind upon request. The band had moved on into a more up-tempo fast song; yet Grissom couldn't take his eyes or his arms off the beautiful woman before him. Suddenly, he sensed that Sara was a bit uncomfortable, '_Oh no, this must be too intense for her.'_ He finally broke eye contact and looked around to see everyone else on the floor dancing fast and staring at the two of them as if they were making a spectacle of themselves. Grissom let out a smile and bellowed into Sara's ears, "I'm sorry, I probably should've let go when the song ended, didn't mean to embarrass you. Maybe we should go somewhere a little quieter, with less people, you know, so we can talk." He took her hand and led her back to their table.

"We could go back to my apartment, it is right around the corner, it's quiet, and it'll be less crowded. I even have a bottle of good scotch."

"Do you think that's wise Sara? If we're alone, things--well we, we may progress too fast. I don't want there to be any regrets."

"Grissom, it's been five years, I don't really think that constitutes as too fast. Besides, I promise I'll be good. I won't put any pressure on you or make any fast moves."

As Grissom was paying the check he mumbled, "It's not you I'm worried about." He felt as if they may be moving too fast; however, it was too late to stop now. He felt what it was like to hold Sara Sidle in him arms, close to his body, close to his heart. She always had been close to his heart; he just never let himself take the chance. Was it right; was it too soon, too late? Grissom didn't have the answers. All he knew was that tonight, on that dance floor was the most alive he has felt for a very long time. Maybe the most alive he had ever felt. He didn't know what would happen at Sara's apartment; he didn't know if he would be able to contain his passion and desire for her. He rationalized that if things were to get heated and passionate, she would not stop and he knew at this point, he couldn't either. That rationalization both exited him and terrified him at the same time.

Grissom helped Sara with her coat, took her hand, and they walked together out the door. Sara smiled as he politely opened the car door for her. She thought about kissing him right there in the parking lot, '_Too tacky, we're not seventeen. Grow up Sara; this is the man you love. You've loved him for five years; you can wait a little longer right? Wait, why is he still standing here? Does he regret agreeing to go to my apartment? He looks a little scared. Maybe I should say something----'_

Her thoughts were cut off by Grissom, "Sara, before you get in the car I need to, I mean, I don't want to alarm you, I'm not really good at this, aw hell Gil, just do it." Gradually, he leaned in toward her, making sure to keep eye contact with Sara as long as he could. In one swift motion, his lips touched hers softly. He knew he caught her off guard, but she was returning the kiss just as he had hoped. Her touch was soft yet very loving; he could feel her hands exploring his back as they were caught in this passionate embrace. As their lips were locked together, Grissom could fell his temperature rise throughout his body. He felt like he was going to explode, the blood was rushing through his veins like lightening bolts. He knew that kissing Sara would be wonderful; but he never imagined that it would feel this electrifying and stimulating. If kissing her felt like this, he could only imagine what making love to her would feel like.

As he broke the kiss, Sara could see in his eyes that he was aroused. He was smiling; she had never seen him smile like that. She was speechless as he closed her door, walked around the car and climbed into the drivers seat. She felt like she had to say something, "I wasn't expecting that, don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, but WOW, you caught me off guard."

"I'm just full of surprises," he teased as he started the car and drove off.

**TBC**

**Thanks for reading. I should have the next chapter up tomorrow, barring any major catastrophes.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Ok, I'm just rolling along with this story. Still don't own them though, maybe someday as I am saving all my pennies! This chapter may be a slight twist, I hope you enjoy it. **

**Chapter Five**

The car ride to Sara's apartment seemed long, as both Grissom and Sara were overflowing with excitement and anticipation of what was to come. Neither one of them spoke but a few words on the drive.

Sara had often thought in her mind what it would be like to hold the only man she ever loved, but now it was happening. She was completely caught off-guard and felt like she was spinning out of control; swept up into the moment that she had waited long and hard for. Sara pondered to herself, '_I must be dreaming.' _She reached over and stroked Grissom's leg. '_If I'm dreaming, this is the most intense fantasy I've ever had. I can feel him. There I go rationalizing again, gotta stop doing that. Wonder what he has in mind? I can't imagine being alone with him. In my countless fantasies, he is the best lover I've ever had. It can't be as good as the fantasies, or can it? It's the quiet ones that are usually the best lovers. Stop Sara, don't get ahead of yourself. We're just going to talk, or whatever. I'm going to let him be the boss. After all, he came to me; he will have to be the one to decide what we do, or don't do.'_

Grissom pulled the car into the parking lot, put it into park, but left the car running. He felt the gaze of the woman sitting next to him, but he didn't look at her. "I'm afraid of what's going to transpire up there," he declared as he pointed to her apartment building. "I consider myself a patient and intelligent man, but I am a man. I do have, well um---urges."

Sara shot him a condescending look. She was about to say something when he stopped her. "Look, I'm just trying to be honest here honey. Maybe we should sit out here for a little while. We've come a long way in just a few hours. I don't want to ruin this by proceeding too fast. I know, it's been over five years; but we've leaped bounds tonight."

"Ok, I want you to be comfortable and if you want to talk here in the truck, fine, let's talk. I'll go first: I know this is very hard for you. I can see it, how timid and careful you are, almost like you're over thinking everything. Look, Gil, I'm crazy about you; have been ever since the first time we had coffee in San Francisco. No matter how much I tried to put you out of my mind, you just kept creeping back into my thoughts. I know you're a little insecure; you have no reason to be. You are the most intelligent, passionate, sexy man I have ever met, and I can't imagine my life without you in it."

Grissom just sat there for a few moments taking in everything that Sara had just confessed to him. He knew he had to make a move. So without a word, he flashed her a little smile, got out the car and proceeded over to the passenger's side door. Without hesitation, he opened her door and held her hand as she exited the vehicle. "Sara, I don't know what to--how to answer--how about we go in and see what happens." When he spotted the beautiful smile on her face, he embraced her with full force. He brushed his hand on her cheek, pulled her close and touched her lips with his. This time the kiss was much more passionate, more vigorous. His tongue was exploring the inside of her mouth. She tasted so wonderful, he thought he was going to lose it right there in her parking lot. Grissom felt Sara's fingers running through the curls of his hair. '_God she feels so good. Why didn't I try this sooner,'_ he thought to himself as he continued the passionate kiss.

Grissom was just about to break contact with Sara when he heard a familiar voice behind them, "Sorry to interrupt, but Grissom, I need to talk to you. It's important."

Startled, Grissom jumped back to see a very embarrassed Jim Brass standing just a few feet from him. He suddenly felt a knot in the pit of his stomach.

"Hi Sara. Grissom I need for you to see something. I wouldn't have come, uh, interrupted, if it wasn't urgent. Sorry, damn it. My timing is horrible. My wife used to tell me that all the time."

Still stunned, Grissom inquired, "How did you know I was here?"

Brass could tell that Grissom was overwhelmed. "Well, I've been trying your cell for over an hour. I guess your um battery was dead or something. I needed to find you, so I tracked your Tahoe using the GPS system. You know all the state vehicles have their GPS systems registers with the PD."

Humiliated, Sara closed the door of the Truck and stood there. Grissom and Brass could both sense the rage building up inside of her. "Perfect, just like the LVPD. They always want to keep tabs on us. Do we have any privacy; and chance of normalcy in out lives?"

Brass interjected, "Relax Sara. When I was tracking Grissom's vehicle, I recognized the address. I never gave it to Catherine or Ecklie; I told them you were at Strap's probably having dinner and that I would go get you. Look, I don't have a problem with your relationship, whatever it is. It's really about time the two of you did something about it anyway. But look, never mind that for right now; Gil, you need to see this."

With a sigh of relief that his privacy wasn't totally violated, Grissom gazed at a single piece of paper dangling from his friend's hand. With utter shock he read the words:

**IM GOING TO KILL DR. GIL GRISSOM FOR WHAT HE DID TO ME.**

**IVE LEFT A SURPRISE FOR HIM AT HIS HOME.**

**THE CLOCK IS TICKING**

**ENJOY THE GAME**

"Get your stuff, Gil, we have to check out your place," Brass insisted. "Catherine and Warrick have the original, they are trying to lift prints. I have ordered 24-hour guard around your house and the lab. Don't worry Gil, if the perp tries anything, we'll nab him."

Still in shock Grissom agrees. "Jim, let me walk Sara to her apartment, and I'll be right with you."

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere without me," Sara insisted. "Someone is threatening you; I want to help."

Shuffling toward the building door Grissom expressed, "Sara, you have been working doubles all week. I've got Brass; I'll be fine. You need to get some rest. I promise, when we are finished at my house, I will come back here, to you."

Sara flashed him a smile as they reached her door. So much has occurred between them tonight; Grissom had made strides in their relationship that she assumed he was incapable of. This wasn't exactly how she envisioned the evening ending; but it was true to the course for their relationship. A small part of her was glad he was leaving before they took this a bit further; but that was a very small part of her. For the most part she was aching inside; aching to feel his touch; to feel his hands exploring every inch of her body. She imagined his touch to be subtle and soft, yet electrifying and sensual. She stood at her door gazing again into his deep blue eyes; she couldn't help herself. Sara pulled him to her and engulfed his mouth as if she was swallowing her prey. Her kiss was vigorous; almost like she worried that it may be her last. Very hot and excited, she broke the embrace and grinned at him.

Feeling very aroused, Grissom smiled back at the beautiful brunette in his arms. "We can't catch a break can we? I hope to continue this um--conversation when I get back. See ya soon."

**TBC**

**Next chapter will be up tonight, I promise. Hope you enjoy the way I've written Brass, he's one of my favorite characters.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Ok, this is a short one. I'll have another chapter tonight. As always, I don't own them, or profit from them,just borrowing for my own twisted mind. **

**Thank you everyone who has reviewed. Do you know that I look forward to those little reviews everyday. **

**Chapter Six**

During the trip to Grissom's house, Brass questioned him about possible suspects. "I honestly have no clue. I mean, we've put hundreds of perps away. I guess we need to check my old case files to see who may have been released recently. I've never really received any threats like this before. Hey, Jim, thanks for earlier. Actually, tonight was the first night for us…I mean, obviously I've had, well, feelings for Sara. I guess I wouldn't let myself admit to that, maybe I was afraid of being hurt or hurting her. I don't know. So, we were sort of talking tonight and admitting our feelings; but we got cut short."

With a sly smirk beaming from his face, Brass quipped, "Didn't look like talking to me. Sorry, that was uncalled for; but, I couldn't resist. Let me say this: the two of you have been silently wanting each other for years now. I'm glad you are at least trying to be happy. You deserve it; and Sara has been in love with you ever since she got to Vegas. It was you I was unsure about until that one case with the girl that looked like Sara. I could tell it was tearing you apart. Well that's neither here or there. Gil, I'm your friend; I won't say anything to anyone about this. Really, it's nobody's business anyway. Good luck, it won't be easy; but if you love each other; it'll be well worth the hard work and sacrifice."

Grissom again was relieved that his friend was going to respect his and Sara's privacy. As they pulled up to Grissom's townhouse, each of them scanned the area to look for anything suspicious. Satisfied, they exited Brass's truck and walked to the door. The door was locked just as he left it and the alarm hadn't gone off, so Grissom deducted that there wasn't a break in. Cautiously, they both entered the domicile and surveyed the scene. "Nothing looks disturbed, Jim, and the alarm didn't go off. Maybe it was just a bluff or a prank."

As he was checking the kitchen, Grissom noticed a red light flashing on his answering machine. Pointing to the machine, "Jim, I think I just found our abnormality. No one ever calls my home number; I forgot I even had that stupid machine."

Grissom pressed the playback button on the machine. "Hello Dr. Grissom. Remember me? You ruined my life, so now it's payback time, my comrade. I have been watching you. I thought about killing you, but alas, I realize there is a better way to hurt you. I watched you tonight, you looked so happy. Why didn't you tell me about her resemblance? No wonder I got to you in that interrogation room. You should've taken your own advice and left her alone. Then she would be safe. But you had to go and screw up, now you will never see her again. If I can't be happy, than you can't either. Good luck finding me, Grissom. You have 24 hours. Chow."

Horrified, Grissom realized, "Sara, he's going after Sara. Oh my God, I left her alone."

"Relax, Gil, we just left her 30 minutes ago. Let's call her."

Grissom was already dialing her cell. There was no answer. He tried her home. No answer there as well. Devastated, he sunk into his sofa. "How careless could I be? Why did I leave her there alone? I will never forgive myself if--"

"Hey, pull it together, we don't know anything yet. I've already had a car sent to her place. Let's go. Grissom, I need you to focus. If he's got her, we will find her, but in order to do that, I need you, Gil Grissom the criminalist, to stay with me."

Hurriedly, they entered Brass's truck and drove toward Sara's apartment. Brass could see the worry, guilt, and hurt in his friend's eyes. "Grissom, I need to ask you some questions. First things first, who was that on the answering machine?"

"Vincent Lurie," he revealed.

**TBC**

**I know, we are tired of putting Sara in possible peril. I've been sitting on this for a while. Please feed the writer with a review if you can. Thanks for reading.**


	7. Chapter 7

**Alas, all my attempts to buy these characters have been futile. So, I do not own them. Thanks everyone who has reviewed. You've been very kind. It's your words that make me wanna go on with this. **

**Chapter Seven**

Grissom answered his cell phone on the first ring, "Grissom," Catherine reported. "We got a partial off the note, and we got a hit. You're never gonna guess--"

"Vincent Lurie," he interrupted. "He left a message for me at home. He insinuated that he was going after Sara; we are pulling up to her place now. Cath--I think he's got her and he's gonna kill her if I don't find him in 24 hours."

Catherine could hear the desperation in his voice. "Gris, if he's got her we will find her. I already have Warrick working on Lurie's last knowns. Greg is analyzing the paper and print from the letter. We have gathered all the evidence from the Debbie Marlin case as well. Even Ecklie is lending a hand. He is coordinating with all the districts to get the APB out there statewide."

"Thanks Cath, I'll get back to you after we check her apartment."

Grissom trailed behind Brass as they entered her building and proceeded to her floor. He knew something was terribly wrong as he turned the corner and observed her apartment door cracked. Brass drew his weapon and entered the apartment. There was no sign of Sara or anyone for that matter. '_Lurie had her'_, Grissom realized. '_I have to get her back, there's no way I'm losing her, not now, not ever.' _

Something kicked in inside him and he quickly demanded, "Jim, don't touch anything." He vigilantly dialed the lab, "Catherine, its Gil. Sara's gone. I need you, Nick and Sophia down here to process. I want every inch of this apartment gone over. For the next twenty-four hours we will work on nothing else. We will find her." He hung up the phone not allowing her to say anything. Out of the corner of his eye, a small, blue beam of light caught his eye. He dashed over to investigate. Upon further examination, Grissom felt a glimmer of hope.

"Jim, I think I've got something. This is Sara's PDA dock. The blinking blue light means that the PDA is on; but it's not here. It looks like the struggle started over here. She may have grabbed it before he took her. We can track it with GPS as long as it is turned on. A PDA is like a computer with an IP address. I'll call Hodges and get him working on finding Sara's IP address."

After giving his instructions to the young lab tech, he walked toward Catherine, Nick, and Sophia as they arrived at the scene. The ringing of his cell phone stopped his progress, "Grissom," he answered.

Following a slight pause the voice on the other line cut in, "By now you know I have your beloved Sara."

Grissom quickly attached a recoding device to his phone. He demanded, "What do you want, Lurie."

"Oh, I see you remember me. What I want is my life back! You ruined me, you and your crime lab. Now it's my turn. I'm going to hurt you, not physically mind you, but emotionally. I've watched how you look at her; it's quite pathetic don't you think? All that time you were in love with her; but you never acted on your feelings. That is until tonight. And now I'm taking her from you. Maybe I'll keep her for myself; I have to admit, her resemblance to my Debbie has me a little aroused. She looks like she could be a handful in the sack, but I suppose you will never find that out."

Trying to remain calm he requested, "Let me talk to Sara, to make sure you have her and to make sure she's still alive."

"I'm afraid that isn't possible at the moment. I gave her a mild sedative. She needed the rest. By the way, that's an awful nice belly button ring she has. It almost looks like a spider entangled in a web. I hate to cut this short but I have things to attend to. Remember the clock is ticking, Dr. Grissom." And he was gone.

Grissom gave the recording to Sophia. "See if you can get anything off of this. He was definitely in a car driving. I heard some background noise, but I couldn't make anything out."

Sophia questioned, "Did he let you talk to Sara?"

"No, he said he gave her a sedative. He has her though. He mentioned a spider belly button ring. Sara was wearing that tonight."

Sophia shot him an awkward look and asked, "What do you take inventory of your subordinates' jewelry?"

Annoyed, Grissom ordered, "Sophia, I'd appreciate it if you would just do as I instructed and analyze the audio. Can you do it without speculation or judgment?" He watched as she stormed off. He had always liked Sophia; thought she was intriguing, but that was where his feelings ended. He suspected that she was slightly attracted to him, but he didn't think anything of it. All he needed from her was her help in finding his true love.

"Cath, Nick, can you guys process the apartment. I need to go back to the lab. I can do more from there." Grissom turned and walked toward the door.

**I couldn't resist the dig on Sophia, we call her Spork at YTDAW. This story has really taken on a mind of its own and gone in a different direction than I originally anticipated, but hey, I'm going with it. Please review if you have time, and thanks for reading.**


	8. Chapter 8

**I still don't own them, do you think if I wish real hard, they will be mine? A girl can dream right? Anyway, thanks for reading & reviewing. Next chapter after this should be up soon. It's written, just need to review it. This is a short one...**

**Chapter 8**

On the painfully long drive back to the lab, Grissom reflected on the events of the evening, '_This is all my fault. How could I be so stupid? I was so careless. Wait…focus Gil. Just think about getting her back. Think about holding her in your arms again as you did on that dance floor. Yes, I will get her back'_

He arrived at the lab and immediately met Warrick to go over the old Debbie Marlin case file. "Hey Warrick, you got anything?"

"Nothing of substance yet," he replied, "I mean we knew Lurie did the murders, we just couldn't prove it. One more thing Gris; Debbie Marlin kinds resembled Sara, so maybe he is trying to substitute her for Debbie in some twisted way."

Grissom peered at the picture of Debbie Marlin from the crime scene. '_God, the resemblance is uncanny,' _he thought to himself. "Warrick, if he hurts her, I will never forgive myself."

Warrick looked at his emotionally drained friend and offered, "Hey, don't even think about that. We will get her back; we have to."

They were interrupted by a very excited Hodges almost singing, "I found her PDA; it's just off of seventy-one about ten miles outside the city limits. I have the coordinates right here."

"Warrick, come with me," Grissom ordered as he snatched the paper out of the young lab tech's hand and headed for his Truck.

On the way to the destination, Warrick had telephoned Brass for backup. Warrick didn't say much to his friend and mentor, as he knew this was tormenting him inside. Warrick had worked very closely with Gil Grissom for many years; he knew that Grissom had feelings for Sara. Warrick had always hoped that some day Grissom would do something about his feelings before it was too late.

Pulling the truck to a halt at a wooded area just off the highway, Grissom and Warrick both exited the Tahoe and began to walk the perimeter just as they had done hundreds of times before. This time was different though and they both knew it. They scoured the area looking for any sign of Sara, but found nothing.

"Gris, over here," Warrick shouted. "I found her PDA, she must've thrown it out from the highway as they were driving."

Disappointed, Grissom instructed, "OK, bag it and we'll get it back to the lab."

"I don't understand Gris, where could he be headed? I mean he is driving out of the city? I would think he would want to stay around so he can keep track of the media coverage. There is nothing out here."

Grissom perked up as if a light bulb went off in his head. "Butterfly World. Debbie Marlin was fascinated with butterflies. Remember the old Butterfly World."

Warrick concurred, "Yeah, they closed it down a few years ago for lack of funding. That place was a huge observatory. I think it's been abandoned, and it's only a few miles up seventy-one. Do you think--" he couldn't even finish his sentence as Grissom headed for the Tahoe and started it up.

"Warrick, call Brass and have backup meet me at the old Butterfly World. I'm going to get Sara back." With that, Grissom sped away leaving a stunned Warrick standing there on the side of the road.

**Can you just see Grissom leaving Warrick standing there all like 'what the f?' Anyway, I will update soon, please review if you can. I am having so much fun with this. Never knew writing could affect me this much.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Thank you to everyone who has reviewed.**

**Chapter Nine**

Racing down the heavily wooded highway, Grissom took a second to check his watch, "Four hours left to find Sara," he announced to himself. "Doesn't seem like we've been searching for twenty hours." Pure adrenaline was fueling his resolve to find his beloved Sara; he was not even aware that he had been awake for forty straight hours; the most-difficult forty hours of his life.

While the drive to the old Butterfly World wasn't more than fifteen miles, Grissom seemed to become more enraged as he sped on. He continued to think out loud, "Lurie…why did I ever let him get away? It was my responsibility to find the evidence to convict that bastard; then, this never would've happened. He better not lay one finger on her." The more he thought about the last two days the more disturbed he became: first, Sara admitted to him in his office that he was the reason she came to Vegas, second, at Sara's apartment, he finally admitted to her that he had feelings for her and kissed her, and third, Vincent Lurie took her away from him. This was all too much for him, so he drove more feverishly down the highway, never taking his mind off Sara. '_I am such a fool,' _he thought to himself. '_It took me so long to act on my feelings for Sara, and what happens; she is hurt by them. Pull it together, Gil, you will get to her in time.'_

Just as Grissom made that promise to himself, he slowed a few yards away from the entrance of what once was Butterfly World. It resembled an old abandoned airport hanger, a large semi-circle shaped aluminum building with numerous small rectangular windows that had been busted out over the past few winters. Grissom could still see the remnants of the painted Butterfly World sign revealing a faded picture of the famous Hypaurotis crysalus, or Colorado Purple butterfly as it is more commonly know, for which Butterfly World was famous for sheltering.

He carefully abandoned his vehicle and quietly made his way to the desolate structure. As he peered into one of the small windows, he noticed a beam of light cascading from a room inside. Grissom knew procedure, and recognized that he should wait for Brass and the backup, but this was Sara and she needed him. Without hesitation, Grissom upholstered his firearm, released the safety, and proceeded through the archway. Carefully, he followed the beam of light to a room at the east end of the building. As he peered in, he gazed upon his nemesis, Vincent Lurie, standing over a makeshift operating table. It appeared as though Lurie was preparing for surgery; he was fully clad in hospital scrubs, and looked as if he was sterilizing surgical tools.

Grissom checked his weapon and turned the corner, carefully aiming his revolver at his target. "Lurie! Step away from the table…Hands where I can see them!" Grissom ordered.

"Ah, Dr. Grissom," Lurie countered. "So nice of you to join us for Ms. Sidle's big operation. You see, I decided to let her live, but she will have a slight modification: I'm going to circumcise her, yes remove her clitoris. She will never be able to feel sexual pleasure again. No matter how hard you try Dr. Grissom, you will never fully pleasure her. You will never feel the exhilaration of knowing you have taken her to that special climax she has been longing for all her life. And for that, you will never be happy."

"If you have hurt one tiny follicle on her body, it will be the last thing you ever do in this world. We have you Vincent," Grissom continued. "Just raise you hands, step away from the table, and you won't be harmed."

Amused, Lurie snapped, "Grissom, so predictable. You came alone. Do you think I'm afraid of you? I knew you wouldn't bring any backup. Your scared…scared that someone may figure out your true feelings for Sara. You are more pathetic than I'll ever be."

Just as Grissom took aim at his adversary, a faint voice echoed from behind a closed door, "Grissom? I'm here, I'm OK."

Elated to hear Sara's voice, Grissom turned his attention toward the closed door, "Sara! I'll be right there honey!" As he turned back toward Lurie, he noticed a small object flying toward him. Grissom turned his shoulder to the left and felt a slight twinge as metal pierced his flesh.

Suddenly, from the archway, Warrick appeared, fired off one shot, and Dr. Lurie fell to the floor.

Grissom rushed to the door where Sara was being held, not even realizing he had a scalpel lodged in his chest. The blood was oozing from his body, but he didn't seem to notice. "Sara, shield yourself from the door."

With one swift kick, the door was shattered. Grissom spotted Sara, blindfolded and tied to a radiator. Swiftly, he untied her, removed her blindfold, and wrapped her in his arms. "Oh God Sara, I'm so sorry…did he hurt you? Oh honey, I promise, I'll never let anything happen to you again."

Before she could answer, Sara noticed the seemingly large pool of blood that was collecting on the floor between them. Shocked, Sara observed, "Grissom, your hurt! Look at all the blood!"

Grissom looked down at the floor, felt the small tear in his chest, looked into Sara's eyes…then everything went black….

**Sorry to end this chapter like this. Next few chapters will be up tomorrow. Please review if you have a chance**


	10. Chapter 10

**Thank you sooooo much for your kind reviews. This story has really taken on a mind of it's own. This chapter should clean a few things up. Happy reading!**

**Oh and I still don't own them or profit from them. **

**Chapter Ten**

"Grissom, can you hear me?" Spoke a familiar voice off in the distance, "come on back big guy!" As he started to open his eyes, he peered up at the bright lights above him. His vision was blurred and the sound of that familiar voice seemed distant. He turned his head to the left, and through his blurred vision, could make out a figure standing next to him. Slowly, his eyes started to adjust to the intense brightness of the white lights and now, he could make out that figure to be Catherine. "Nice to have you back, Grissom," she expressed. "Don't be alarmed; you are in the hospital. You've been out for a few hours now."

Gradually, as he regained consciousness, the events of the past 48 hours returned to his foggy memory; with no delay, Grissom hastily jumped from the bed, "Sara! I need to find Sara!"

Catherine quickly grabbed Grissom's arm and stopped his momentum, "Easy tiger…Sara is alright. You got to her in time. She is in the examining room; they're just making sure Lurie didn't inject her with anything toxic." Catherine could tell that the exact details of the evening were a little fuzzy to her long-time friend. "OK, here's how it went down: You figured out where Lurie was holding Sara. In very atypical Grissom fashion, you went there WITHOUT backup and got to Sara just as Lurie was preparing to do something horrible to her. Warrick and Brass arrived, just after that son of a bitch Lurie flung a scalpel at you, hitting you in the upper chest, a very good shot I must add. Warrick shot Lurie, you found Sara, and then you collapsed. I think that about sums it up."

Still groggy, Grissom questioned, "Collapsed?"

"Well maybe passed out is a better description. The scalpel wound was just a flesh wound, but you did lose a lot of blood. That coupled with the fact that you were up for about 48 straight hours, and you probably didn't have anything to eat or drink, contributed to your passing out. The official diagnoses were exhaustion & dehydration. They've had you on intravenous fluids, so you should be fine."

"Cath, I need to see Sara!" Grissom demanded as he yanked the I V out of his left arm.

"Jesus, Grissom, I've never seen you like this. I promise you, she is fine. Give me a minute, I'll see what I can do."

Just as Catherine reached for the door, it opened and in popped a very tall dark-haired man dressed in emergency room scrubs. "Dr. Grissom, nice to see you awake. My name is Dr. Tyler, and I've been tending to you since they brought you and your associate in."

Grissom looked up and asked, "Sara? How is she? Can I see her? Doc, I really need to see her!"

"Of course, Dr. Grissom, she is down the hall in room three seventeen. She is fine, no broken bones, and no worse for the wear. Just a little scare, I think. Let me get someone to remove that I V, and you can go see her."

"I'm afraid he's already taken care of that," Catherine interjected.

Before the Doctor could utter another word, Grissom was out of bed, and walking down the hall to find Sara's room. When he reached the door, he wasted no time in opening it and letting himself in. He was startled as he witnessed a half-dressed Sara struggling to latch her bra." Embarrassed, Grissom turned his back and confessed, "Sara, oh my God, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to just barge in here like that and invade your privacy. Dammit, I can't seem to get anything right where you're concerned."

With a sigh of frustration Sara responded, "It's Okay Gris. Actually, I could use a hand, if you don't mind."

"What do you need?"

"My arms and wrists are so sore from being tied up and trying to free myself; I can't seem to hook this. I knew I should've worn the one that latches in the front."

Grissom appreciated the fact that Sara was trying to make light of the task she was asking him to attempt. Grissom turned toward her and with a devious smirk he retorted, "Well, my dear, I'm afraid that hooking the latch is not my specialty!"

As Sara smiled back at him, he knew that she was all right. Swiftly, Grissom took the ends of the bra in his hand, and with one quick motion, fastened the hooks.

"Hey, you've come a long way Gris, the fact that you can joke about this. A few months ago, had I asked you to fasten my bra, I think you would've been terrified and probably ran for cover."

He then grabbed her blouse and helped her into it. Sara turned to face him and Grissom began to secure the buttons. "To be quite honest, this does terrify me; I'm just putting up a façade for you my dear. I'll help you with your blouse, again, fastening the buttons, not my area of expertise. Why do we always do things backwards?"

"Oh come on Grissom, have you ever known me to do _anything _conventional?"

After Grissom had buttoned her up, he peered at the beautiful, smiling woman before him, and took her into his arms and squeezed tight. "Oh God Sara; I didn't know if I'd ever get the chance to hold you again. I'm sorry for everything. I should've never left you alone. If he hurt you, I would've never forgiven myself."

"Hey, Gris, I'm fine. He really didn't hurt me. I think he would've, but you got there in time. I knew you would. It feels so good to be in your arms again. This is the safest I've ever felt in my life."

Hearing these words gave him comfort. He wanted to protect her, to watch over her, to love her with all his heart. Slowly he caressed her face and traced her lips with his index finger. Without hesitation, he lowered his head and met her lips with his. His kiss was soft yet passionate. Grissom felt as though he never wanted to leave this spot. Unfortunately there was a light knock, and the door swung open.

"Jeez, that is the second time in twenty four hours, I'll come back."

Almost laughing, Grissom cackled, "You truly do have impeccable timing. You can come in. I was just, uh, helping Sara get ready to get outta here."

"Right," Brass snickered. "Just wanted to let you two know…Lurie survived. Warrick shot him in the chest, but the bullet missed all his vital organs, dammit. He's recovering, but as soon as he's ready for transport he'll be sent to the state hospital to await arraignment. He's going away for a long, long time."

"Thanks Jim," Sara expressed. "Thanks for everything. I've gotta thank Warrick, Cath, everyone. I know all of you were working twenty hours straight for me."

"Whoa, don't you worry about that. There will be plenty of time for thanking everyone. A nice steak dinner will suffice for me. Of course we can take care of that in a few weeks when you feel better. Okay, I've taken care of the discharge papers for the both of you. The doctor thinks that, given your injuries and fatigue that the both of you need five days of bed rest. I've faxed the doctor's orders over to Ecklie, so the both of you are covered for the next five days. There's a uniform outside the door to take you guys home. Did I miss anything? Oh Grissom, you may want to put your clothes back on. That robe does nothing for your boyish figure."

Grissom looked down at his attire. It never even occurred to him that he wasn't wearing his own clothes. "Give me five minutes to change and I'll be right back."

Back in his hospital room, he searched for his clothes. There was a clear bag sitting on the far table. "Ah, there they are," he muttered to himself. "Thought I might have to wear this beautiful gown home." Quickly, he opened the bag and pulled out his navy blue Dockers and blue t-shirt. His excitement over finding his own clothes abruptly came to a halt when he realized that his clothes had been cut right up the middle. His Dockers were now in two pieces, and his t-shirt was severed right up the middle. Grissom was holding his mangled clothes as Warrick entered the room.

"Hey boss, nice to see you up. Cath told me you were getting out today; Sara too. Hey, you may start a new fashion trend with those."

Grissom hauntingly added, "They cut my clothes! Why, I wasn't badly hurt."

"Well, after you collapsed, Gris, the paramedics weren't sure if you were badly injured. You were bleeding pretty good, and you would not respond. I think they were just being cautious." Warrick felt bad for his friend and mentor. "Hey, instead of waiting for someone to pick clothes up for you, I have my gym bag in the car. I know I have a pair of sweats and a t-shirt you could wear home."

"Thanks Warrick, I appreciate it. The thought of staying here one minute longer is killing me."

**Poor Brass, I can really see him to be the one who catches our fav un-couple in an inapropriate moment on the show. Anyway, I will post the next chapter; it will be a short one. Please review if you can. **


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter as promised. A short one. Hope you enjoy.**

**Chapter Eleven**

Slowly, Grissom turned the handle to Sara's room, "Is it okay to come in?" he posed.

"Yep, come on in," Sara answered. As Grissom entered the room, Sara and Catherine both looked at him in bewilderment. "This is a whole side of you I never knew," Sara chuckled as she surveyed his clothing. "Baggy sweat pants, Bob Marley t-shirt? You really meant it when you said you were full of surprises."

Catherine added, "Never had you pegged as a Rasta man, Gris."

Embarrassed he snapped, "I can see you two are finding the humor in this. The paramedics cut my clothes in half. I didn't want to stay here any longer, so Warrick offered me his gym clothes. What do you think? Is it me?"

The three friends were laughing and carrying on as they left the hospital room. Grissom and Sara walked side-by-side out of the hospital with Catherine trailing behind them. Brass and a uniformed Officer met them outside.

"I have to get your bag out of my car," Catherine announced. "Sara, I don't know if anyone told you, but we tore your apartment apart looking for evidence. We're gonna clean it up tonight, but you can't stay there the way it is. I went to your place; packed you some clothes and essentials. My house is kinda crowded with my mother there, but you are more than welcome to---"

"She can stay with me," Grissom interrupted. "I have a guest room. Is that alright with you Sara?"

"Yes, thank you. I think I could probably sleep on a bed of nails right now. I'm so tired."

Catherine came back to the patrol car with Sara's bag and added, "I thought you may be more comfortable at Grissom's. I had Greg pick a few things up and stock the fridge, so you guys should have plenty to eat and drink. If you need anything, don't hesitate."

"Thanks Cath, what would we do without you. I think it's time to get Sara home and to bed."

Catherine shot him a curious and deviant look.

He finished, "To sleep Catherine. I know where your mind is."

"Hate to break up this witty banter, but we are on a schedule," Brass offered. "Gil, Sara, this is Officer Sands and he will be taking you home. I'll also have your Tahoe dropped off later this evening." After finishing the introductions, Grissom opened the car door for Sara and helped her in. "Take care of her Gil," Brass ordered.

"Oh don't worry, my friend, I intend to."

**Next chapter will be up in a day or so. I would so love to be "taken car of" by the bugman. Maybe show him a thing or two. Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Oodles of thanks to everyone who is reading and especially to everyone who has reviewed. Sorry I haven't updated for a few days. Don't you just hate when _real _life gets in the way. **

**Anywho, I sold my comic book collection, but $5 wasn't enough to buy them, so I still don't own them.**

**Chapter Twelve**

On the way to Grissom's house, Sara had fallen asleep on his shoulder. He couldn't help but stare at her; she was so close to him, leaning on him for support. It pleased Grissom to know that she felt safe and comfortable with him. As they arrived at their destination, he knew he had to wake her up. "Sara? We're here honey. Let's get you inside and to bed."

"Sorry," she spoke, yawning. "I must've dozed off. Didn't mean to use you as a pillow, Gris."

"It was truly my pleasure."

Grissom led her out of the patrol car, grabbed her bag and they walked hand-in-hand to the front door.

Slowly making her way through the entranceway, Sara couldn't help but notice the clean linen scent of his home, almost as if he'd had it cleaned professionally. Not what she imagined as a bachelor pad; but Grissom wasn't the typical bachelor. She spent the next few minutes surveying her surroundings. She had been here before, but it's been a few years. The sofa was new; definitely more inviting than the small leather one she sat on three years ago. Also, the kitchen was different.

Grissom noticed her gazing at his kitchen. "Yes, I've done some remodeling. I had the wet bar put in last year and all the appliances upgraded." Slowly walking down the hallway, Grissom motioned for Sara to follow him. "I used to have three bedrooms on this floor, but I tore a wall out between two bedrooms to make one big master bedroom with a master bath."

Sara followed him through a double doorway to the master bedroom. It was beautiful; tastefully decorated in deep blues. All of the furniture was coordinated to match; she never thought of Grissom to have a flair for interior decorating. "This room is beautiful, Gris. I'll have to hand it to you. I never would've imagined your home to look this extraordinary."

"I like to surround myself with beauty, why do you think I asked you to move to Vegas?"

Sara smiled her gap-toothed smile at him and continued to scan the room, just as she had done hundreds of times at various crime scenes. Instantly, her gaze fell upon a beautiful fireplace residing at the back wall. She noticed a single photo resting there. As she slithered over to take a closer look, her heart unexpectedly skipped a beat. Staring back at her was a lovely, framed picture of her and Grissom from the week they first meeting in San Francisco.

Grissom recognized what had caught her eye. "Remember that? The university threw a party for the entomologist convention. A very sheik, black-tie event. I wasn't going to even bring a date, but I remember Philip Gerrard telling me to find the brightest young female scientist taking my seminar and ask her."

"Of course I remember. I signed up for one of your seminars early in the week just because I was curious about the whole bug thing. Afterwards, I checked the schedule and signed up for all the seminars you were giving. God Gris, I was so entranced by you; everything about you; your confidence, arrogance about the subject matter, the gracefulness of the way you worked the classroom, your eyes. Imagine my jubilation when you asked me to accompany you to the ball. I thought I was the luckiest girl alive."

"You looked stunning in that red dress. I had to get the picture because I always wanted to remember the witty girl with the beautiful smile who seemed to write down everything I said and question every theory I presented."

"Gris, I need to show you something," she declared, as she fumbled through her purse and pulled out a wallet-size picture. "I had to get the picture as well. I keep it with me to remember that time in my life."

They both stood there in front of the fireplace smiling; knowing that each of them had kept the same picture for over six years. It seemed as though they were both caught up in the moment; reminiscing of the short time they spent in each other's company six years ago.

Sara's trip down memory lane was cut short as she noticed the huge six person Jacuzzi tub in the corner of the room. "Oh, that looks inviting. I was gonna ask if I could use your shower, but I may have to rethink that."

"Oh the Jacuzzi. I had that put in last year. I'm afraid my old bones don't recover quite as quickly as they used to. That tub is a Godsend."

"Old bones, I've never seen anyone do as much walking, squatting, crawling, and lifting as you."

"And I ache a little more everyday. Of course you can use the Jacuzzi. I was going to let you have the master bedroom anyway. The bed is very comfortable, and I felt the room would be more inviting to you than my guest room."

"Gris, I'm not going to kick you out of your bedroom. The guestroom will be fine."

"No, I insist. You've been through a terrible ordeal, all my fault might I add, and I won't let you be uncomfortable. I'll get your bag."

When Grissom emerged with the overnight bag, Sara was filling up the tub. "Thank you for the room, the Jacuzzi, the company."

"My pleasure. Have a wonderful bath, I'll be in the kitchen trying to make us a little dinner."

After Grissom departed, Sara undressed and lowered her aching body into the alluring water. The hot water felt so tantalizing on her skin, almost orgasmic. When she turned on the jets, she let out a loud moan that embarrassed her, as she was sure Grissom heard it. While the pulsating water scurried across her flesh, she thought of how wonderful it would be to have him in here with her. Her mind was occupied with all the things she could do to him. She felt the fire build deep within her as she closed her eyes and wandered deep into fantasyland.

After an extremely pleasurable twenty minutes, the jets ceased and the room grew quiet. The sound of the silence woke Sara from her relaxing voyage through dreamland. She washed the remaining soap from her body, washed and rinsed her hair, and hoisted herself out of the invigorating water. She clutched one of the towels Grissom had brought for her and wrapped it around her dripping wet body. "Oh, so soft," she murmured, as she ran the plush white towel over her glistening flesh. The feel of the towel almost tickled her skin as she imagined the same plush, white towel covering Grissom's naked body. She found herself lost for an instance in a moment that only existed in her mind. She was hastily brought back to reality as she heard music pumping from the living room. There was still a satisfying smile on her face as she mouthed to herself, '_Sara, you need to relax, girl and stop fantasizing about the man. I may need a cold shower now. I'll just get dressed, that'll help." _Without delay, she opened the overnight bag to see what Catherine had packed. '_Something comfortable, I hope…Ah, here we go. A nice pair of sweats and a tank top, perfect.'_

After dressing, Sara looked at the rest of the clothes that Catherine had packed. She was pleased to find just your ordinary everyday leisure clothes; nothing over-the-top as she would've guessed from Catherine. There was something that caught her eye at the bottom of the bag. It was a small red box. There was a note on the box:

_**Just in case the opportunity presents itself. --- Love Cath**_

Upon opening the box, Sara couldn't help but giggle; Catherine had bought her a very sexy one-piece red nightie. It had lace in the front, an open back, and a garter set with red-laced stockings. As Sara held it up to her body, she noticed that the garment had two round cut outs with under wire, where she assumed her breasts were supposed to show through, and as if that wasn't enough, it was crotch less. She had never in her life even entertained the idea of wearing something like this; much less sporting something of this variety for Grissom. She pondered intimately, '_Wonder if this would flip his switch? Probably send him running out the door. Or maybe, he's into this sorta thing. No way not Grissom. I couldn't…I shouldn't wear this, or should I…'_

**OK, I know, but I had to write it. I'm a sucker for a little romance. I will be busy the rest of the weekend, but maybe I can update Sunday night. Thanks for reading and please, if you get a chance, shoot me a review.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Thank you soooo much everyone who has read and reviewed this story. This is my first fanfiction, so I'm still a little nervous.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Dutifully preparing dinner, Grissom couldn't help but envision a beautiful Sara Sidle wet in his Jacuzzi. He imagined her silky, dark hair dripping wet; a single water drop would tumble down her lovely back, slowly making it's way past her shapely bottom, finally traveling down the back of her stunning, long legs. How he longed to be that water drop. He fantasized about slowly and softly touching every inch of her gorgeous body; starting with her feet and gently making his way north, careful not to miss one inch.

The buzzing of the oven timer brought him out of his trance, '_I can't seem to get a hold of myself. I need a diversion; think I'll turn on some music before I burn dinner.' _

Grissom settled on the "Soft, Relaxing Songs of Yesterday and Today" station and was amused at the song that was playing:

_I've been alone with you inside my mind…And in my dreams I've kissed your lips a Thousand times. I sometimes see you pass outside my door…Hello, is it me your Looking for. I can see it in your eyes…I can see it in your smile…You're all I ever Wanted…My arms are open wide…Cause you know just what to say…And you know Just what to do…And I want to tell you so much…I love you…_

With a shake of his head, and a smirk on his face, Grissom turned the volume up a bit, and went back to finish dinner; all the while, singing along with the ballads that were droning out of the speakers.

Going over his mental checklist, there were only 2 things left to do: take the bread out of the oven, and uncork the wine. _'Wait…I've only ever seen her drink beer; what if she doesn't like wine? What if she thinks I'm trying to make this too romantic with wine and candles? Yea, I'll ditch the candles, and turn the lights back up.'_ Hurriedly, he blew out the candles. _'Why am I a so nervous? Just ask her if wine is ok, I have beer in the fridge if she prefers. Water, I bet she'll want water as well.'_ Grissom fetched two water glasses, filled them with a bottle of spring water, and decided to relight the candles and turn the lights back down. _'How about I stop analyzing every little detail and just relax. Just listen to the music and finish setting up dinner.'_

**TBC**

**Can't you just see a nervous Grissom making dinner, and singing along to cheesy songs on the radio. I think that underneath his unemotional facade, Grissom is actually a romantic. I have written him that way. **


	14. Chapter 14

**Oh yea, still don't own them. If I did, they'd be exhausted because they'd never get any sleep! Hellomind, come back from the gutter. Thanks everyone for the kind words.**

**Chapter Fourteen**

Feeling refreshed, Sara finished dressing and went to investigate the wonderful aroma that was permeating from the kitchen. She walked around the corner and leaned up against the wall. She flashed a huge smile at the sight of Super Crime-Fighting, Mad Bug Scientist, CSI Supervisor, Gil Grissom, clad in an apron, uncorking a bottle of wine and singing along with the radio:

_Come with me, my love, to the sea, the sea of love…I want to tell you how much_

_I love you._

Sara just stood there, huge grin on her face, content to just watch him. He really was the love of her life. For all his faults and quirks, she completely and utterly loved him. It had never been more clear to her than it was in this moment standing in his living room, watching him fumble around with dinner. _'Whatever happens or doesn't happen between us tonight,'_ she thought to herself, _'I know now that it's not just lust, or validation, or loneliness; I love him…And I'm going to tell him…tonight.'_

Grissom finished opening the wine, looked up at a smiling Sara Sidle. "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough to see a new side of you. I like it! When can I get the full concert?" She slowly made her way closer to the kitchen. "What is that wonderful smell that lured me from my bath?"

Only slightly embarrassed he answered, "Stir-fry vegetables over rice. I made chicken for it too, but I didn't prepare them together. I haven't seen you eat meat since the pig. Oh, and garlic dinner rolls. I hope you like it."

Sara almost teared-up. He took such time and effort into this. Everything looked wonderful; the candles, dimmed lights, wine, and Gil Grissom, looking so cute in his apron and oven mitt. "You made it so I'm sure I'll love it!" She put her hand on his. "Thank you, Gris. For…for everything. I can't seem to find the right words to tell you everything that I'm thinking and feeling right now, but…" She stopped because she saw the look of fear in his eyes, and she felt that she had again over-talked and scared him away.

Grissom searched for the right thing to say. He gently took her hand, intertwining his fingers with hers and smiled, "Sara…let's just…let's just have dinner. We will have plenty of time to talk about thoughts and feelings. I'm not going anywhere."

She smiled, amazed at his calm demeanor. They sat down and enjoyed a wonderful dinner; talking for an hour about an array of topics: from food, to wine, to music. There was even a time where they each took turns impersonating their co-workers. They smiled, laughed, held hands. It was almost as if they had been doing this for years.

After they finished eating, Grissom was clearing the dishes when there was a knock at the door.

"Sara would you mind answering that. I'm up to my elbows in suds."

As she opened the door, she peered out at a burly man holding a beautiful arrangement of flowers. "

Uh, delivery for a Sara Sidle, just sign here."

She brought the flowers into the kitchen, set them on the counter and read the card:

**_My Dear Sara,_**

_**It's so wonderful to have you home.**_

_**Gil**_

Sara just gazed at Gil as he was rigorously washing dishes. He looked up at her and smiled; his face turned slightly red. Several thoughts swam around in her brain, but she could only vocalize two words, "Thank you," and she wondered how many times in one night she could fall in love with him.

**TBC**

**Allright so maybe it's a little corny**, **but that's why it's fanfiction, I guess. I am a romantic, so I guess I will write that way. Please review if you can. **


	15. Chapter 15

**Alright, here's another short one. I'm afraid that sometimes life gets in the way of fiction. I promise I will end this soon; I don't want to babble on forever. I'm just having so much fun with this. Thanks to every wonderful person who has read and or reviewed. I love you guys.**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Finally satisfied with his kitchen clean up, Grissom strolled over to the sofa to where Sara was perusing through his latest copy of Applied Forensic Science. "Sara, I'm going to take a shower; I think I smell like a mix of garlic and soy sauce."

She glanced up at him, still in his cute little now wet apron, and let out a slight chuckle.

"What? Do you like the smell of garlic and soy sauce Miss Sidle?"

"It's the apron; it's got such a June Cleaver quality to it. Maybe next you can bake me some chocolate chip cookies with some nice warm milk."

He gave her that typical "Grissom Smirk" and headed towards the bathroom. Stopping midway down the hall he shot back at her, "Sara, you can turn the music off if it's disturbing your reading."

"Wouldn't dream of it. I'm actually enjoying all these cheesy songs. Maybe later you can sing along to a few of them for me."

Grissom just shook his head and disappeared into the bathroom.

During his shower, Grissom thought of the last forty-eight hours. He felt as though he was losing control. He thought his head was going to explode. _'What am I doing here? I'm nearly fifty years old, and I'm undeniably smitten with her.'' _

He finished his shower, dried off, and realized he was finally ready. He knew that he wanted, needed Sara in his life. He also knew he had to tell her; no, he had to show her how he felt.

After getting dressed, Grissom headed back to the living room. When he reached the sofa, he found Sara sound asleep, forensic journal still in her hands. He smiled at the perfect picture of beauty before him. He tenderly lifted her into his arms and carried her into his bedroom. Carefully, he placed her on the bed, covered her up, and kissed her forehead. "Sleep tight, honey."

**TBC**

**Grissom making dinner: $35. Grissom wearing an apron $20. Grissom wearing nothing but an apron: Priceless...Ok REALLY CORNY. I know what your thinking, are they gonna ever? Sara really needed to sleep, and I needed to collect my thoughts. Thanks for reading.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for reading; you guys are awesome. Another short one. Stay tuned...**

**Chapter Sixteen**

As the sun started to rise, filling the room with light, Sara started to stir out of her restful sleep. Still a little groggy, she surveyed her surroundings. For a moment she forgot where she was. The last three days had seemed like an alternate reality. It wasn't until she was fully awake that it finally hit her: this was real. She really was in _his _bedroom, sleeping in _his _very comfortable bed. A satisfying smile formed on her face.

As she turned over, Sara noticed something on the pillow beside her. It was a single yellow rose with a note attached.:

**Good Morning Beautiful,**

**I had to run a few errands. I left some muffins and juice **

**On the table beside you. Make yourself at home. I shouldn't be long. **

**Gil**

She hoisted herself up, and grabbed one of the muffins Grissom had left for her. '_He's even thoughtful when he's not here. Why hasn't someone snatched him up before now? Oh right, he's Grissom; he never shows anyone his emotional side.' _Sara was elated that she had finally managed to break down a few of his emotional walls. The man that she had seen for the last three days had been wonderful, compassionate, and romantic. She loved that side of him; but then again, she loved him before.

After finishing her delicious muffin and juice, Sara decided to venture out to the living room. She wanted to carefully study her surroundings, not to invade his privacy, just to try to get a better sense of the enigma that is Grissom.

On the walls, were several framed butterfly specimens. There were all different colors and sizes. They were beautiful. His bookshelf was overflowing with everything from Shakespeare, to Thoreau, to Stephen King. Sara imagined Grissom spending countless evenings curled up on his sofa reading. Her attention fell on the lovely bouquet of flowers adorning the kitchen table. The same table where they had shared dinner last night. Her heart skipped a beat as she reminisced about their conversations and hand holding of the previous evening.

Sara spent the next hour relaxing on the sofa, enjoying a few chapters of a wonderful Sherlock Holmes book. Halfway thought, she looked up from the book; surveyed the empty living room, and realized, she missed him. '_Maybe I should call him, see how long he's gonna be. Nah, too smothering,' _she considered. _'Obsess much, Sidle?'_ Sara was shocked that she couldn't occupy herself for a few hours.

Realizing this was driving her crazy, Sara turned on some music and decided to take another turn in the Jacuzzi tub to relax her.

With the soft sounds of old school ballads echoing in the distance, Sara, once again, undressed and lowered her body into the alluring water.

**TBC**


	17. Chapter 17

**Still don't own them; I'm convinced that Moonves will give them to me if I'm a good girl. **

**Chapter Seventeen**

Satisfied that he picked up all the items he needed, Grissom started the truck and headed toward his home. As he drove closer to his destination, he was growing more nervous. Grissom was lost; this was most certainly unfamiliar territory for him. _'Pathetic old fool,'_ he chastised himself. _'You have the most beautiful woman you've ever encountered sleeping in your bed, waiting for you. What's the problem here? Coward, Am I really that scared of getting hurt? Coffee, I need a cup of coffee to clear my mind.'_

Grissom found his way to the diner by the lab. This was his sanctuary, it was open twenty-four hours, and he had spent countless nights here going over evidence and thinking. He had even brought Sara here once; well not _just_ Sara, but his whole team after that case that got him suspended a few years back.

As he was enjoying his coffee, there was a hand on his shoulder and a familiar voice behind him.

"Aren't you supposed to be home in bed?" Brass questioned.

"Hey Jim. I had a few things I needed to pick up. I'm on my way back home; I just wanted to…stop here…have a cup of coffee."

Brass took the seat next to his friend. "Come on Grissom. How long have we been friends? Looks to me like your running."

"I'm not running," he snapped back. "I just needed a minute before I went back home. I need to…" Grissom began to get flustered. "Who am I kidding here Jim. I'm terrified. I don't know how to do this. I mean, what should I do now?"

"Relax buddy," Jim answered, putting his hand on Grissom's back. "You don't really have to know what to do. Look, Gil, we've known each other for what ten years? I've seen you go out with women; I've seen you get some women; I've seen you lose some women. But, I've never seen you look at anyone else the way you look at her. And she looks at you the same way. I don't know about any of the other stuff, but I know that for sure."

"Ok, if you're trying to give me advice; this really isn't helping. I already know what she does to me. It's the only thing I _do_ know."

"Alright Sherlock, then why are sitting here telling me. I mean I like you and all, but I'm not gonna keep you all warm and cozy at night. Go…Just go tell _her_ what _she_ does to you. That's where you start. Everything else will just kinda happen on it's own."

Grissom looked up at his wise friend, almost as though he couldn't believe that it could be that easy. He paid his check and confessed, "Thanks Jim, sometimes I need a little push in the right direction."

"Push, nothing, more like a forceful shove. Good luck."

Before Brass finished his sentence, Grissom was out the door, in his truck, and on his way to Sara.

**TBC**

**OK, couldn't resist one more turn with Brass. Can you tell how much I love his character?**


	18. Chapter 18

**Thank you for all the wonderfully kind reviews. This has been a wonderful journey into my imagination. I truly didn't think I had it in me. **

**Chapter Eighteen**

Sara had just finished her calming bath, as she looked for something to put on. She found a terry cloth robe hanging in Grissom's bathroom, so she decided to put that on while she decided what to wear. She started looking through her bag for today's outfit. Smiling, she removed the small red box that Catherine had bought for her so she could get to some of her clothes. Upon placing the box on the bed she spoke, "One day, Dr. Grissom; one day I will most definitely have to delight you with the contents of this box."

Grissom unlocked the door and entered his home. He was surprised that he didn't see Sara sitting on the sofa reading; instead, the radio was blaring and Sara was nowhere to be found. "She must still be in the bedroom," he deducted.

Decisively, he grabbed a small box from his shopping bags and made his way to his bedroom. Grissom knocked lightly on the door. "Sara, honey, are you in there?"

"Come in Gris, I just finished a bath, I love that tub! I think I might have to come over here after those long shifts just to take a bath!"

As Grissom opened the bedroom door and peered in, he couldn't help but stop in his tracks and stare. For about the fifth time in the past 3 days, she was the most beautiful sight he'd ever seen. He knew that she would catch on that he was staring, but he didn't care. The sight of her at this very moment took his breath away. He could hear his heart beating faster; almost out of his chest. There she was; standing in his bedroom, wearing his robe. Her hair was still wet, as it cascaded around her face. A few small drops of water trickled their way down the lovely strands of hair around her face, and made their way down the front of her chest, disappearing beneath the robe. He couldn't move; he couldn't speak; all he could do was look at her.

Sara began to feel a little uncomfortable. "What? Is everything Ok? Is it the robe? Sorry Gris, I, uh, I know I should've, um, well asked before just putting it on. It's just the first thing I saw. I was dripping wet." When Grissom still didn't move or speak she added, "Look, just give me a minute; I'll change."

Finally, Grissom realized that Sara thought he was upset with her. He took a few steps into the room toward her as he stuttered, "N-n-no, uh it's not that. I mean y-y-you can wear the robe, um my robe." He paused a minute to compose himself and declared, "God Sara, you really do have no idea how beautiful you are." He picked up his pace and moved toward her. "I think I stopped breathing when I opened the door and looked at you. I'm losing control here, Sara."

"Well, from what I hear," she answered deviously as she placed her arms around his neck, "Losing control isn't _always_ a bad thing." Her hands were exploring the soft curls of the back of his head as she closed the gap between them. Sara felt a surge of electricity through her body as her lips touched his. Waves of passion and desire seemed to replace the blood that was raging through her veins as he vehemently returned the kiss. His tongue gently tested the outside of Sara's lips as if asking to be invited in. She obliged and their tongues were soon dancing together as if they were one. Grissom drew her closer to his body and ran his right hand up and down her robe-covered back.

Sara was the first to break the passionate kiss; needing to come up for air. She took a small step back from him and noticed that he held a small box in his left hand.

Feeling flustered, she tried to speak, but Grissom beat her to it. "Sara—honey, Jesus!" He exclaimed. "You can't just, just, well—My GOD, you can't just do THAT! Wait, you can do it; it's just, I, uh, I kinda need to do something, or rather say something here before, um, before..." He was stumbling on his words and looking away from her. He noticed the bright red box on the bed.

Motioning toward the box he inquisitively asked "What's in the pretty red box?'

Sara, sensing that he was changing the subject, answered, "Oh, just something Catherine bought for me. Don't try to wiggle your way out of this. What were you trying to say, and what is that in your hand?"

Grissom looked at the small box in his hand and deviously came back with, "I'll show you mine if you show me yours!"

"Oh, you wanna play that game, Grissom! Fine, I can't really see myself wearing it anyway; well unless there was some alcohol involved!" She opened the box and pulled the sexy red nightie out, held it up against her body, and turned to face Grissom.

"So, Mr. Entomologist, do you think it's me? I mean, I guess Catherine thought that maybe you-uh, I mean we needed a jump-start. This is stupid," she concluded as she pulled the garment away from her.

Stunned from the piece of lingerie, Grissom didn't say a word.

Sara turned toward the mirror and held it back up against her body. "What was she thinking anyway? Do women really wear this sort of thing? Don't get me wrong; I'm a true believer in romance, why else would I hang around in Vegas for five years waiting for an emotionally unavailable man to become available." She paused for a minute as she noticed in the mirror that Grissom was directly behind her. Nervously she muttered, "I'm over-talking again. You're making me nervous. Can you please say something?"

He put his hand on her shoulder and turned her so that she was facing him. Carefully, he peeled the nightie out of her hand and held it up to get a closer look. "Well—it certainly is _something!_ Sara—" he seemed to be searching for exactly the right words. "Sara, honey, now keep in mind that you are talking to me and I'm not exactly an expert in these things, but I, well I would never expect you to wear something like that. Wait that came out a little wrong. First of all, you would look AMAZING in sexy lingerie. Hell, you look sexy in sweat pants. It's just that, from what I know of you, I think you'd feel, un-uncomfortable in that. Sara, I'm so bad at this. I don't think I'm getting my point across. Ok, can I start over?"

Sara gave him a smile and tried to rescue him, "You don't have to. I get it, I really do. You're not into that sort of thing."

"No, no, Sara, that's not it. Let me try again; I need to try again." Grissom paused to collect his thoughts. He placed the small box he brought with him in her hands and placed his hands on top of hers and the box. "It's not that I'm not into that sort of thing; the truth is that I don't really know. I've never had anyone wear anything like that with, or rather, for me. Sara—the truth is, I'm into YOU; all of you. And if you feel comfortable wearing a sexy red night gown, then I'm going to be into it."

Sara was taken aback by his words, that she hardly noticed him place the small box in her hands. She couldn't believe this was the same man who had rejected her so many times. When Grissom let go of her hands she realized she was holding the box. Her voice was so quiet that he hardly heard her ask, "Should I open it?"

"Yes, I'm sorry, of course. But before you do; I want you to know that I was going to give you that for your birthday next month. I figured I'd have enough courage by then. I ordered it about two weeks ago; it was before this, um, ordeal with Lurie."

Her curiosity peaked, and with trembling hands, Sara opened the box. Tears filled her eyes as she peeked in at the beautiful gold heart-shaped locket. "Oh, it's beautiful!"

Her words put him slightly at ease. "I was hoping you'd like it. If you open it; um I had it inscribed."

Even though she tried hole-heartedly hold back, a single tear escaped her eyes as she pulled the necklace out of the box, opened the locket, and read the words: **_Sara, I never knew love until I knew you. Love, Gil_**

Several more tears streamed down her cheeks. "I don't know what to say—I think I dreamt this moment. Can you pinch me, please?"

Grissom took the necklace from her still trembling hands and turned her to again face the mirror. "How 'bout I put this on? It's a beautiful piece of jewelry and it deserves a beautiful neck to rest itself on." He fastened the clasp and put his arms around her waist. They both stared at their reflection in the mirror. Grissom lowered his head to gently kiss her neck; then he moved the robe off her collar to tenderly kiss her shoulder. "Can I confess something to you? I-uh, I know you may have had your heart set on the lingerie, but this-this, um you standing right here in my robe, THIS does it for me." He spun her toward him, grasped her hands and added, "You—in my bedroom—in my robe; the most beautiful, sexy sight I've ever seen in my life!"

Sara had never seen or imagined this side of him. As he spoke to her he stared at her, his beautiful alluring cool blue eyes never left her. She was completely mesmerized. All she wanted was to frantically rip his clothes off and devour him. All she could manage were a few faint words spoken in an almost whisper, "Gil, I want you!"

As she clenched his shirt in her hands and pulled him closer to her, he hesitated, "Sara, wait. Honey, I want you too; more than anything else in the world; but I want to, I need to do this right." Grissom led her around to the side of his bed. "Now don't go anywhere, my dear, I'll be back in two minutes."

As Sara waited for him, her body was shuddering from sheer anticipation. She swore to herself that if he touched her one more time, she'd lose it right there. After all, it had only been him who had occupied heart for the last five years; she'd had sex a few times in that time frame, but it was meaningless and hadn't even been that good. It had been quite a long, long time since she had made love with someone she truly cared about.

Grissom returned with a few scented candles. After lighting them and placing them on the fireplace and nightstand, he turned down the lights. Slowly, and without lifting his gaze from her, he made his way to the exact spot he left Sara. He pulled her into his arms and traced kisses up the front of her neck and toward her ear. Sara shivered when he took her earlobe between his teeth and lightly nibbled. Gently, he blew into her ear and she was so overwhelmed with desire that she almost didn't hear him declare into her ear, "God, Sara, I love you! I should've told you years ago. I completely love you."

His lips met hers and years of pent up love were unleashed in one very passionate, very sexy fervent kiss; it could've lasted for days except that each of them had other ideas in mind. As he broke the kiss, Grissom took a step back to again admire the beautiful woman before him. He grabbed the lapels of the robe and carefully felt the velvety skin beneath the robe all the way down to her waist. Delicately, he untied the robe and let it fall to the floor. "Sara, you are gorgeous! Your skin is glowing in the candlelight, driving me crazy." He pressed his forehead to hers. "Honey, you have no idea how terrified I am. It—it's been a long time for me. I want to be everything you need."

Her breathing sped up, she admitted, "You already are everything I need; and as far as this is concerned; I am almost there right now, and you're still fully clothed!"

With his mind more at ease, Grissom again attacked her neck, tracing kisses down the front of her neck, and down her chest. With his hands and his lips he drove Sara over the edge.

When Sara's breathing calmed down she questioned, "What—are—you –smiling at? Admiring your handy work? And you were afraid you wouldn't give me everything I needed? I've never felt anything that intense in my life. I'm on fire here. Gil, I want you—naked—in this bed—now."

He tore off his clothes and climbed into bed beside her. Passionately, he kissed her already swollen lips. His tongue darted in and out of her mouth thoroughly tasting all of her. He softly ran his hands down the length of her body, carefully covering every velvety inch. As she lost control again she cried out, "What are you trying to do to me?"

"Make you feel more pleasure than you ever have before!"

"Dr Grissom, you accomplished that about forty minutes ago. God, Gil, you are gooood. Tell me; is it always gonna be _this_ good?"

"I truly hope so," he answered as he rolled over to prop himself on top of her. He slowly made love to her, giving himself to her completely.

She looked into his eyes and saw only intense passion like nothing she's ever seen. She sensed that he finally let go of his inhibitions, of his fears. There was only want, need, and desire behind his beautiful blue eyes now. Want, need, and desire for her. This was like a fairy tale; Grissom was her handsome, sexy, totally pleasuring prince.

After the fire erupted in both of them, he fell on top of her, completely spent, and utterly exhausted. They both stayed in that position, catching their breaths for the next few minutes before Grissom rolled off of Sara. Hair soaked and completely drenched in sweat, Grissom could only manage one word, "Wow!"

Sara turned onto her side to face him. She wiped the sweat from his brow and traced her hand down the side of his face. Tenderly, she leaned over and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. As she pulled back from him she revealed, "Gil Grissom, I love you, and WOW right back at you."

Those were the best words he had ever heard in his life. Sara Sidle loved him; she really loved him. He put his arms around her and held her close until she fell asleep in his arms. Grissom pulled the blanket up over Sara's naked sweat covered body. Lovingly, he wiped the hair from her face, softly kissed her forehead and vowed, "Sara, I have no way of knowing what's in store for us. But this I promise: you will have me, all of me, every ounce of my love, strength, passion; every beat of my heart for the rest of my life." After his declaration, he closed his eyes. After a few minutes, he couldn't help but open his eyes and touch Sara's arm; just to make sure it wasn't a fantasy; that he hadn't dreamt the entire thing.

As he felt her soft skin she stirred slightly and reassured him, "Hey, you don't have to keep checking, I'm here; I'm real; I love you; oh and while I know you want to give me the world, all I really need, all I've ever needed is YOU!"

**The End**

**Wow, this has been amazing! I was advised to change the rating, so this being my first fic, I decided to take people's advice. When I started writing this, it was just going to be a couple of pages; but it went in a totally different direction than I originally intended it to. I actually wrote this chapter a little steamier, but I thougth it was too much for If you'd like to read this chapter as I originally wrote it; just email me and I'll send you the file. I'm going to post it on adult as soon as I figure out how. Thanks everyone for reading and please review if you can. What a Ride!**


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